Breakfast alternative

It's summer and not everyone wants to eat a bowl of hot oatmeal for breakfast. I bought a bag of chia seeds and I've been meaning to use them in everything from puddings to oatmeals and then I found a recipe in Shape that used them in granola. I've never made it before and when I tried the granola that Spencer's mom makes I knew I wanted to try and make my own version.

The original recipe was very simple and relied on cinnamon to flavor the whole thing. This recipe yields a chewier granola. I wanted something with more spice and a more full-bodied flavor. I added almond extract and cardamom to an already easy and yummy recipe. I'm going to do this again and this time make a gigantic batch so that I can eat this for the whole week. There is so much room for creativity with granola and I'm excited to try out more variations.

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Spiced Chia Seed Granola

Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields: 4 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking sheet and set aside. Combine the oats, chia seeds, and spices and mix well. Stir in the almond extract, honey, and canola oil, making sure that the oats and seeds are covered. Spread this mixture out over the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After about 6 or 7 minutes, stir. Let cool until the oats become crunchy. Serve with yogurt or milk or on its own!

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xo,
k.